Effect of a back-support exoskeleton on internal forces and lumbar spine stability during low load lifting task

Auteurs

Amir Hossein Eskandari, Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en Santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), Division of Applied Mechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Canada, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR), Institut universitaire sur la réadaptation en déficience physique de Montréal (IURDPM), Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l'Ile-de-Montréal (CCSMTL), Canada
Farshid Ghezelbash, Institut de recherche Robert Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail, Montréal, Canada, Division of Applied Mechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Canada
Aboulfazl Shirazi-Adl, Division of Applied Mechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Canada
Navid Arjmand, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
Christian Larivière, Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en Santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST)Follow

Type de document

Études primaires

Année de publication

2025

Langue

Anglais

Titre de la revue

Applied Ergonomics

Résumé

This study assessed the effect of a small-torque generating passive back-support exoskeleton during a low demanding occupational task, namely a repetitive lifting/lowering of an empty crate between the knee and shoulder heights. A comprehensive set of outcomes was considered, ranging from the measured trunk muscle activation and trunk movement to the estimated muscle group forces/coordination, spine loading and spine stability, using a dynamic subject-specific EMG-assisted musculoskeletal model. The exoskeleton decreased back muscle activation and corresponding muscle forces in the lowering phase and reduced spinal loading at larger trunk flexion angles (decreased peak compression and shear forces by ∼ 15%). However, the effect sizes were small (ηG2 < .06), questioning the usefulness of this type of exoskeleton, even for light tasks. On the other hand, the unique results of the present study showed that coordination between the main muscle groups as well as spinal stability remained unchanged with low effect sizes, suggesting that the use of this exoskeleton is safe. © 2024

Mots-clés

Soulèvement des charges, Manual lifting, Dispositif d'assistance physique, Physical assistant device, Évaluation du matériel, Evaluation of equipment, Mesure de la charge musculaire, Measurement of load on muscles, Manutention manuelle, Manual lifting, Colonne vertébrale, Spinal column, Détermination expérimentale, Experimental determination, Mécanique humaine, Body mechanics, Stabilité, Stability, Rachis lombaire, Lumbar column

Numéro de projet IRSST

2019-0018

Citation recommandée

Eskandari, A. H., Ghezelbash, F., Shirazi-Adl, A., Arjmand, N. et Larivière, C. (2025). Effect of a back-support exoskeleton on internal forces and lumbar spine stability during low load lifting task. Applied Ergonomics, 123, article 104407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104407